Vegetable-cutter.



Patented June 28, 1910.

, attomtug-s 7 ANDREW a. GRAHAM c0, PNOTO-LITNUGRAPN man. 0 1

JACOB IP. EGKERT, OF VALLEY PARK, MISSOURI.

VEGETABLE-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1910.

Application filed June 10, 1909. Serial No. 501,309.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. EOKER-T, citizen of the United States, residing at Valley Park, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vegetable- Gutters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in devices for cutting vegetables, such as cabbages, beets, turnips or the like, into slices or slivers to conveniently prepare the same for use.

The object of the invention is an improved cutting device of this character which includes a fixed blade and means for holding a vegetable to be operated upon and rotating it over the blade, the said means being carried by a supporting arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be movable toward and away from the base to permit the device to accommodate vegetables of different sizes.

\Vith this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a vegetable cutter constructed in accordance with my invention, the arm being shown in dotted lines in raised position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the middle portion of the base; and, Fig. 3 is a transverse section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

My improved vegetable cutter consists essentially of a flat base or table 1 which is formed at its middle point with an elongated opening or slot 2 over which is secured a fixed slicing blade 3, the blade having an oblique disposition with respect to the base, so that its cutting edge is supported slightly above the upper surface thereof. Mounted in the base in front of the opening 2 is a series of transversely spaced knives 4 which bear at their upper ends against the under surface of the blade 3. The cutting edges of these knives are preferably located slightly in advance of the cutting edge of the blade 3 and at substantially right angles thereto (see Fig. 2). A supporting frame 5 is mounted upon the base 1 and includes two standards 6 that upstand from the base on opposite sides of the opening 2, and a supporting arm 7 which is adapted to extend between the upper ends of the standards. The supporting arm is hinged at one end to one of the standards, as indicated at 8, so as to be susceptible of being swung to ward and away from the base. The free end of the arm is arranged in lowered position to rest upon the upper end of the other standard 6 which thus serves to limit its swinging movement toward the base, the free end of the arm being extended longitudinally beyond such last named standard to form a handle 9 by means of which the arm is manipulated in the operation of the cutter.

. A shaft 10 is journaled in the supportmg arm at an intermediate point and extends substantially perpendicularly on both sides thereof, so as to assume a substantially vertical position above the slicing blade 3 in the lowered position of the supporting arm. Below the supporting arm the shaft carries a head 11 that is fixed to rotate therewith and that is equipped with a plurality of depending prongs or projections 12 which are designed to be embedded in the upper end of the vegetable to hold it in proper relative position upon the base and to cause it to turn with the shaft. The head and prongs constitute what I term the vegetable holder.

The'shaft is provided above the supporting arm with a relatively large fixed collar 13, the collar and the head bearing squarely against opposite faces of the supporting arm to maintain the shaft against sliding therethrough and to steady the shaft against possible wabbling movement. The shaft may be rotated in any suitable manner and in the present instance is provided at its upper end with a crank handle 14 for this purpose.

In the practical operation of the device, the base 1 is placed across the open upper end of a bucket or tub, or other suitable receptacle, and the supporting arm is swung upwardly away from the base to permit the vegetable to be operated upon to be introduced between the base and the head 11. By pressing the supporting arm downwardly, the prongs 12 are embedded in the vegetable so that the same is rotated over the fixed blade 3 when the shaft is turned by the crank handle 14. The blade 3 severs from the vegetable a continuous broad slice which is divided into relatively narrow strips or slivers by the series of knives 4, the slivers passing through the opening 2 in the base and being discharged into the receptacle. The supporting arm is pressed downwardly at all times during the cutting operation so as to be swung toward the base to compensate for the decrease in size of the vegetable It is to be noted, however, that the downward swinging movement of the free end of the arm is limited by the corresponding standard, so as to insure against the projections 12 coming in contact with and damaging the cutting elements 3 and 4:.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided a very handy and eflicient vegetable cutter, by means of which, beets, turnips, cabbages, or the like, may be easily and quickly prepared for use; which embodies to a marked degree the'characteristics of simplicity and durability; which consists of comparatively few parts that are not likely to get out of order; and which may be easily and cheaply manufactured so as to be placed upon the market at a reasonable price.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A vegetable cutter comprising a base, a slicing blade secured to the base, standards projecting upwardly from the base on opposite sides of the slicing blade, a supporting arm extending between the upper ends of the standards and above the cutting blade, a rotatable shaft extending substantially vertically above the cutting blade and carried by and journaled in the supporting arm, and means disposed at the lower end of the shaft for engaging a vegetable to rotate the same over the cutting blade, the supporting arm being pivoted horizontally at one end to one of the standards to swing toward and away from the base, the other end of the supporting arm being adapted to rest upon the upper end of the other standard to limit the swinging movement of the supporting arm toward the base.-

2. A vegetable cutter comprising a base, a cutting blade secured to the base, a supporting arm pivotally supported from the base and movable toward and away from the same and arranged to extend over the cutting blade, a rotatable shaft journaled in the supporting arm in substantially perpendicular relation thereto, a vegetable holder secured'to one end of the shaft for rotating a vegetable across the cutting blade, and a collar fixed on the shaft on the opposite side of the supporting arm from the vegetable holder, the vegetable holder and collar abutting against opposite faces of the supporting arm to maintain the shaft against sliding longitudinally therethrough and to steady the shaft against wabbling movement.

3. A vegetable cutter comprising a base, a fixed blade carried by the base, a frame secured to the base and embodying an arm hinged at one end to swing toward and away from the base, a rotatable shaft journaled in the arm, and a vegetable holder secured to the end of the shaft adjacent to the base.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in. presence of two witnesses.

JACOB P. ECKERT. [1 s] WVitnesses:

F. X. BREEN, JOHN WAHL. 

